Designed for Skid Row Housing Trust,
the Abbey Apartments provide permanent supportive
homes for 113 formerly homeless men and
women, many with substance abuse and mental
health issues.

The building combines ground floor space for health care (supplementing counseling and social services available next door) with upper floor single-occupancy apartments. Driven by the notion that pride and comfort are not luxuries, but rather necessities, the energy efficient apartments include details like large windows, private kitchens, and doorbells to reinforce a sense of respite and privacy. Open courtyards and strategic community spaces encourage casual encounters that build a sense of belonging and move beyond the “architecture of survival” on LA’s Skid Row.